#you're joining a war killing former comrades and assaulting to sack a monastery that also acts as an orphanage and charity place

[randomnameless]

"We need our vassals to believe the Empire will always come to their aid. Always." This is actually kinda interesting, considering Edelgard's ideals amount to "people need to rely on their own strength rather than relying on others." There's a case here that she's keeping that from her vassals, and by them relying on her they're ultimately seen as lacking merit in her eyes and giving her room to dismiss them. Then there's the Hubert/Shez support saying that she's coddling the nobility while oppressing the commoners, and her reforms attracting nobles from the Kingdom opposed to Dimitri's pro-commoner reforms while Hubert and Monica's makes it out that she's going to free the nobility from their responsibilities to do whatever they please. Hopes is just another flavor of Safflower. In Safflower, she needed to rely on the Agarthans for her war, but had made them dance to her tune according to the Japanese text before ultimately disposing of them. In Blaze, she relies on the nobility for support, but her support ultimately gives her grounds to strip them of their power after the war. It's the same Edelgard, just working with a different group of scumbags.

Tbf,

Idk if the devs bought their own lie or something like this with Supreme Leader, but damn if sometimes her writing - and the reaction to her actions - is completely different whether you think about this "PR" mindset, or not.

I could even compare this to the fandom surrounding her, you have the very devoted fans thinking #griffithdidnothingwrong because Supreme Leader wondered once in an anonymous ask what to do with Rhea if she refuses to surrender, and "turn her in shiny double axes" wasn't an option, just like her asking Rhea'n'all to surrender in the last chapter of Tru Piss...

And yet, she also has her lines where she congratulates herself and Billy for getting the world of those pesky pointy ears, saying as early as chapter 12 to motivate her troops that her path leads to Rhea's death and telling to Billy, before the "plz surrender" speech that she wants to eliminate the evil lizard lady so...

We can see the same about her parents' romance in Garreg Mach - debunked by a nameless who says no imperial heir has attended in recent ages - Aegir being responsible for the experiments when Hubert says it was Thales, or even, "Willy's sekrit history"... Are we supposed to buy Supreme Leader's words - as she is known to lie to her allies "Rhea so BaD she launched nukes in Arianrhod!", or at times are completely wrong/misguided "the church divided Adrestia Fodlan in three entities to control them" when we Know Loog's rebellion was supported by Agartha and Rhea only acted the end of the War because the Emperor of that time lost against the barbarian and Faerghus was independant in all but in name?

Jerry, as much as I like the guy, says it best : Supreme Leader's words are meaningless.

In an usual setting/VG, people would judge her for her various actions... but Flamey is forgotten by the plot because the "slapping my ass" cipher card had to be sold, characters become vapid and moan about "uwu IdEaLs" when no one notices that, uh, any ideal that goes "you are from race B you cannot rule over race A" sucks no matter what...

So what is the "real" Supreme Leader (Watsonian wise, of course, Doylist wise, she's Fodlan's resident waifu)? #griffithdidnothingwrong or, what we've been saying since day 15, someone who, just like Arvis and arguably Ashnard, manipulates people by creating/seizing opportunities to further her own agenda?

I love Gustadolph and I love Arvis, but if their games treated them with the same kiddy gloves they used for Supreme Leader, aka not having anyone call them out on their actions and slobber over the "IdEaLs" regardless of the means and immediately backing off when they could actively discuss about those "IdEaLs", I would like them... less, I guess.

Supreme Leader's PR "line/plans" here reveals her cunning - even if there is the "only one supply line" issue - because she is actively working to "build" an image of a leader whose people/vassals will be loyal to, at the same time, she is fully aware it is nothing but an image because she just has to pretend to care, not care for real, but it also reveales what she thinks of "chivalry" in general and all those notions of mutual help/assistance.

As you pointed out, for someone who's all "might makes right" + "bootstraps", Lonato goofing the plan they devised is just a moron who's going to run to his own death. Let he be a vassal or ally of circumstance, she doesn't really care about his death, aka, about the death of the people who bought her flag and are now on her side.

What bothers her more is the reputation Adrestia will have if it doesn't pretend to "assist" one of their vassals when they need help.

(Compare this to the Kingdom and the Church always helping, when they can, their allies and Rhea's doctrine being to help whoever needs help, regardless of their background, religion or whatnot!)

Imo, it's as cynical as Ashnard trashtalking Bryce in FE9, save that Lonato isn't here, like Bryce, to hear what his "Lord" really thinks of him :

Supreme Leader mocks and loathes "chivalry" and the idea of "people supporting each other" - which we can see more clearly when we slaughter Baron Dominic in Supreme Bullshit - thinking the Dominics felt pressured to protect their lands, people and loved ones when, uh, they just, don't want to see the people they love die? And want to help and save them?

In a way I'm glad I found this line, for my morning salt because it hurts again to even imagine what Fodlan could have been if Supreme Leader wasn't designed as the mascot whales/target audience was supposed to simp for and buy nightgown cipher cards, but also for the confirmation bias (i know i'm petty) that Supreme Leader is indeed closer to Ashnard and Oldvis than fandom!Griffith, and again as another window in Adrestia's decadence and fall.

I mean, how could a country founded by Rhea herself, with close ties to what she is still preaching aka "help everyone!" fall so low to the point where assisting those who need help if frowned upon, and only to be done if it leads to something useful, like, good PR - saving the bozo who's rushing to his death though? I'd say it's much like Monica's rescue in Nopes - kill two birds with one stone, but well, one bird was prioritised while the other just, kind of, died on its own which happens to be a good thing for us, I guess?

-> Which gives us the magical ending of Supreme Bullshit, the two birds killed each other!